Sandia Sunset

A Custom Rivendell Roadbike

Some time ago I got the chance to try a custom Rivendell, built for local cyclist and bicycle mechanic Jim A. I had been eying this beautiful bicycle in Jim's corner at Harris Cyclery for a couple of years now and did not have the nerve to ride it. But as my curiosity grew and my bike handling skills improved, the stars finally aligned and it all culminated in a test ride.





As far as Rivendells go, this one is both iconic and unique. The lugwork and color scheme look quintessentially Rivendellian, but the frame was built by Roland Della Santa in 2000, whereas today theircustom frames are usually built by Mark Nobilette. Of course being custom it was also built according to Jim's proportions and specifications, in particular to accommodate his long legs and a short torso.





As far as lugwork, there are some special touches such as the double-plated fork crown,





the elegant seat cluster,





and the filigreed lugs framing the contrasting head tube panel. Of course I love the sage green and cream color scheme. If I were to get a custom Rivendellthis is pretty much what it would look like.





Jim has this bicycle set up with Nitto Noodle handlebars, bar-end shifters, a compact drivetrain,PanaracerPasela28mm tires, and a green BrooksB17 saddle. The frame was built for short reach brakes, and will fit a 28mm tire with fender.





The frame size is 54cm x 53.5cm. With its standard diameter tubing, level top tube, and road geometry, this bicycle resembles a classic roadbike more so than Rivendell's currently produced models - which was one reason I was interested in trying it.






I rode the bicycle for a 5-8 mile loop through the suburbs with some hills. While I did not put the bike "through the paces" (I was still pretty nervous about marring its pristine condition), I did get a basic sense for its handling and speed. And... my main impression was that it handled similarly to my Mercian - to a freewheel, geared version of it, that is. The acceleration, the turning, and just the general feel of the Rivendell felt so similar that it was as if I was riding a different version of my own bike. With the handlebars set up for Jim but the saddle lowered for me, I was more upright than I wanted to be, and also there was some toe overlap with the front wheel, so on my own bike the specs would be a little different. But otherwise it felt comfortable, while also being lighter and more responsive than the stockRivendellSam Hillborne I own.






It is hard to believe that 2000 was 12 years ago, but time does fly. Since they opened shop in 1994, Rivendell's philosophy has been shifting consistently in the direction of wider tires, hardier tubing, upright handlebars, greater off-road capacity, and reinforced frames (double top tubes, diagonal tubes, etc.). But in the past they did offer more roadish models that were essentially classic lugged steel road-to-trail bikes with decent tire clearances - nothing fancier or more eccentric than that. Trying a custom bicycle from this period was a treat, and has helped me understand the company's history. Many thanks to Jim A. for allowing me to ride his bike and to share these pictures.

Iva Jean Rain Cape: Ethereal, Wearable

When asked to review the Iva Jean Rain Cape, I immediately recalled theremarkably successful photosof this item I had seen in the lookbook several months earlier. I'd been mesmerised by the stunning model and bicycle, by the perfect combination of my favourite colours, by the foggy, milky, electric feel of the whole thing. But a staged photoshoot is one thing; the article of clothing itself could be quite another. What we have here is essentially a silver hooded cape, to be worn on a bicycle. The skeptic in me was thinking that few of us can pull off a garment like that without looking like we are headed to a sci-fi convention.

When the Iva Jean cape arrived, I was relieved to find it quite wearable. The colour is a metalic slate gray, in no danger of being confused with an aluminum foil alien costume. The fabric is fluid and drapey, not stiff. And it is mostly noiseless (no swooshing).

The cape is made in Seattle out of a water-repellent, breathable nylon-polyester blend fabric with reflective piping. It is one size only and hits mid-thigh. I don't want to repeat manufacturer specs, so please read the complete list of featureshere.

Close-up of the hood, visor, rear vent and reflective piping.

The hood is roomy and can be loosened and tightened using a system of drawcords.

Rear view.

Stand-up collar inside the hood. The zipper extends half way down and makes the cape easy to put on and take off.

The arm openings have velcro closure, as does the large front pocket. There is also a system of drawcords and thumb loops on the bottom for keeping the arms inside the cape.

Full rear view.

In use on the bike.Speaking generally, I must admit that I am not a "bicycle cape person." When I look down and see a tent draped over my legs, it abstracts the pedaling experience for me. That said, this cape is so lightweight, that this effect is diminished. What I like about it particularly is the breathability, the flattering shape, and the ease of movement it affords off the bike.With capes I can sometimes feel as if I am getting tangled in them, but this onehas such an airy feel to it, that I could hardly tell I had it on.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is a cape, not a poncho. It is intended for casual use, such as commuting. As you can see in the pictures, the forearms are somewhat exposed when I am holding the handlebars, because I am fairly leaned forward on this particular bike. The more upright your position on the bicycle, the less this will be an issue. [Edited to add: The manufacturer explains that it is possible to cover the handlebars with the cape like so. However, when I attempted this my arms felt constricted and I was not able to use it comfortably in this manner.]

Having worn the cape in the rain a couple of times, the coverage was sufficient and there were no problems with the waterproofing. As far as temperature regulation, the cape functions as a light shell and you can layer underneath it.The vents provide good ventilation on warmer days.The front can be zipped all the way up to cover the neck up to the chin on days when you wish for a scarf.

I found the system of drawcords a little complicated, but I think this is a matter of preference and others will appreciate them, as they basically allow you to reshape the garment in a variety of ways. The one point of criticism I have, is what to me looks like some subtle bunching up of fabric around the seams (you can see it in pictures like this one). It could be just an unavoidable characteristic of the fabric used, but I am detail-oriented and my eyes keep being drawn to this.

The Iva Jean Rain Cape is available for sale online, and the retail price is $240. If you would like my review sample, please leave a comment with your email address by Monday, November 28th, 11:59pm Pacific time and I will choose a recipient at random. Continental US entries only please. In my opinion this cape will fit women up to size 10 US.

Enjoy the rest of your Thansgiving weekend!

Time slipping

3/1 Update: I said below that we'd be on the Azalea aisle at this weekend's show. To be more specific (since there will apparently be two soapmakers on that row): Azalea 1204.



We've got a craft show coming up and life is hectic, so blog posting may be light or nonexistant for a week or so.



The show is Cottontails, at the Civic Center in downtown Birmingham - come see us! We'll be downstairs on the "Azalea" aisle.

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Check out the Friday Ark for your weekly critter fix.

First real day on ice

Sunday we spent the day at our favorite ice playground. We were joined by Dr. Bob, Regina, Felipe, Chip and several others. The weather was reasonable holding at about 10 degrees with some snow showers throughout the day.

Everyone eyeing the conditions

Routes are coming in nicely, but most big lines need a little more time. The crew decided to drop top ropes on G-Gully WI4+, Final Obligation WI5 and Son of Beast WI5+. Everyone enjoyed pumping out and running laps on the early season, steep, candlesticked lines.



While the others rigged ropes, etc. Laura and I started our season with Called on account of security WI4. Its currently in very nice condition and but took mostly short screws. This year, there's even some ice at the start making it easier than its usual rock start. Here are a few photos that I took of Laura on our first ice route of /11. We both enjoyed the line very much. Apparently Laura really had fun as she was giggling and smiling as she reached the anchors.

From the belay, Laura coming up Called on account of security WI4

Further up the route - Called on account of Security WI4

Final lip of Called on account of Security WI4

By next weekend we should have some really steep filled in lines. We all had a blast despite Felipe's tooth incident. Good Luck on your climbing trip to Thailand Felipe. Hope your tooth is OK. See you when you get back.

More on rockered skis...

This is a good read. Should be no surprise why I like the La Sportiva Hi5 so much...with a 410cm of rocker ontips on my 188s. The lwt weight and straight tail profileI like even better in the back country.



http://skitheory.blogspot.com//08/dps-wailer-112-rp-ski-review.html



Not everything is rockered on this list some simply have an early rise tip which isn't the same as rockered but it makesdecent comparison, I think. All are great ski in my opinion



Mustagh SL 187cm 6lb 9oz 122-88-111 early rise tip



Aspect 186cm 7 lb 2 oz* 130 / 90 / 117 trad tip profile



Drift 186 cm 7 lb 10 oz 138/ 100/ 123 early rise tip



Hi5 188cm 8lb 10oz* 135 / 105 / 125 410mm rockered tip, straight andsquarecut tail



Stoke 191cm 7 lb 14oz 134 / 108 / 122 early rise tip





Wailer Carbon 190cm 8lb* 141/ 112 / 128 450mm rocker tip and 400mm rockered tail



Megawatt 188cm 11 lb 4 oz 151-125-131 rockered tip and semi rockeredtail



* actual weights of my skis, not the factory numbers





For a side country and liftski I'll have a review up onthe DPS Wailer 112 Carbon when the snow flies again.













More on my thoughts of another seriously fun rockered ski.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//06/la-sportiva-hi5-skis.html

Discussing Our Bodies in Mixed Company

image via kaputniq

Yesterday I came across a series of delightfully entertaining illustrations by kaputniq, modeled after a Victorian instruction manual for lady cyclists. "Women Wheelers! Don't say 'Feel my muscle,'" warns one. "Don't ask 'Do you like my bloomers?'" admonishes another. While things have changed since Victorian times, in some ways maybe not so much. When I wrote a post on female saddle discomfort some time ago, I received comments and emails from male readers indicating that they were made uncomfortable by the topic. To a lesser extent, the same happened when I brought up the subject of bras in a recent post, and likewise whenever I mention my leg muscles or (heaven forbid) butt in the context of cycling.

During the time I have spent around those who ride bikes, I have observed that male cyclists are not shy about discussing their bodies - be it in real life (conversations that take place in bike shops and at various cyclist gatherings) or on the internet (discussions in forums and blog comments). Thanks to this, I know all about their "taint" and their infertility worries, and how they have to move stuff out of the way when dismounting a bike with a tall top tube, and so on. No big deal. It's a good thing that men feel free to share such things.

However, female cyclists are unlikely to discuss their bodies in a similar manner, except in the vaguest of terms. Until very recently there was virtually no public internet dialogue about female-specific bicycle discomfort, and I rarely hear any such talk out loud. I don't think I'd be out of line in saying that it is still considered inappropriate in our society for women to be "immodest" - which is how discussing our bodies in mixed company is perceived.If a female mentions her toned legs, let alone her private parts, even in the context of cycling it can easily be interpreted as flirtatious or sexually provocative - whereas if a man does the same it is interpreted as merely clinical.

Despite the double standard, it is clear that female cyclists want to discuss these topics - and to do so using concrete terminology instead of polite abstractions. There is a growing feeling that information is unavailable to us because of our own embarrassment to share that information with each other, supplemented by a palpable male discomfort (or excitement - which is more intimidating?) when we do share it. While I am not the right candidate to spearhead a revolution in this regard, I am relieved to see that there is one underway. From thefrank discussion of yeast infectionson bikeskirt,toElly Blue's article on menstruation in Grist, to an entire compilation of female writings about their bodies and cycling coming out in zine format (Our Bodies, Our bikes - order your copy here) it's as if a floodgate has opened, so to speak - mixed company be damned. Let's hope the trend continues. It should not be any less socially acceptable for female cyclists to discuss their bodies than it is for male cyclists.

A Change of Scenery

On the day of my arrival, the temperature reached a scorching 68°F and the sun came out for the entire afternoon! Yes, summer is in full swing in Northern Ireland. I have relocated here temporarily - to the countryside along the coast, not far from the city of Derry and the town of Limavady. As I write this, a sheep is looking over my shoulder. A mountain looms in the distance. And the breeze is so gentle, I am almost tempted to remove my wool blazer.




What am I doing here? Mostly two things: writing and riding. I've brought over my roadbike and I have a Brompton on loan from the lovely Chris Sharp. The nearest town is 3.5 miles away. The nearest mountain is just around the corner.




The food situation is pretty straightforward. There is plenty of fish in the Lough Foyle and berries in Ballykelly Forest. In a pinch, there is also the Tesco down the road.




I am still getting my bearings after 2 days of no sleep, but posting should be pretty regular. The wifi is fired up and working splendidly, so long as I add coal every half hour or so.




Later this afternoon I am off to watch a time trial. What more could a girl ask for?

Chiricahua National Monument

If you should happen to be driving along Interstate 10 in southeast Arizona, you need to turn south onto highway 186 in Wilcox. Your destination is a little over 30 miles through the desert, uphill. It is the same terrain you have been driving through from Texas and New Mexico and you're wondering why or how this will be any different. But when you reach the little road that takes you into a canyon, you enter a different world. A delightful, surprising one.

There was green grass. And trees. Not just the little scrub bushes but real trees. And it was cool. And there was a stream with flowing water. Of course, it was early spring. There had been a lot of snow during the winter and it was melting. The first time in many years that there had actually been water flowing in Bonita Creek, according to one of the Park Rangers.

This fascinating place is Chiricahua National Monument. I had never heard of it until I saw a sign on the Interstate. I'm so glad that I took that road. The campground was pleasant with some sun making its way through the trees. It was refreshing to return to after several hours of hiking the trails, which were created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

My Campsite.

The Erickson/Riggs home at Faraway Ranch, Bonita Canyon.
In 1887, this remote canyon became the home of Neil and Emma Erickson. Swedish emigrants, they met at Fort Craig, New Mexico. He was a sergeant in the Army and she was a a maid and companion to the Colonel's wife. Neil was often away from home, working, and Emma tended to the children and the ranch. In 1903 he became a forest ranger, which took him further away from Bonita Canyon. In 1917, the eldest daughter, Lillian, began inviting guests to the ranch and it became the getaway destination. Her husband, Ed Riggs, became foreman of a CCC Camp and helped build the trails used by visitors today. They did an amazing job on the trails. Faraway Ranch is now a part of Chiricahua National Monument.

Beyond Bonita Canyon are the mountains. The trails wind through the incredible rock formations – pillars and balancing rocks galore! It is a wondrous place, indeed.

Early To Raise

Balloon people seem to take the idea of getting up before dawn to extremes. Early morning in the fall seems to be the best time to fly hot air balloons. So going to the balloon fiesta meant that my aunts and I got up at 4 am, drove to a designated parking lot in Rio Rancho where we caught a special bus that took us to the Balloon Park in Albuquerque. That was at 5 am. We arrived there while it was still dark and waited impatiently for the Dawn Patrol to take off, which they did about 6 am. The Dawn Patrol are the first few balloons that take off right before dawn to make sure it safe for the other balloons to fly. Sometimes it may seem safe on the ground but higher air currents can be a lot different. Balloons don't fly if it is raining, too windy, or snowing. But this day was perfect. No wind, rain, snow, and it wasn't even that cold. Balloonist don't understand the word cold. It seems the colder the better. By 7 all of the other approximately 600 balloons were preparing to fly.

Tern Swoop: a Commute-Ready Folder

While we are on the subject of small wheel bicycles, I wanted to share my impressions of the Tern Swoop, which is due to hit bike stores in the US any day now. I test rode the Swoop at the Interbike Outdoor Demo earlier this year. This was the first Tern bicycle I've tried.






Tern is a Taiwanese manufacturer of folding bikes, whose launch was filled with drama. The company is owned by the son and wife of the owner of Dahon. When they left Dahon to set up Tern, the feud and back-and-forth lawsuits that followed fed the industry rumor millfor some time. But it seems that Tern is here to stay. Their initial models were met with positive reviews. Now in their second year of production, they've expanded their lineup, and that is how I encountered the Swoop.






The Tern Swoop is an ultra low step-over model, optimised for commuting in comfort. Specs include an aluminum frame, hi-ten steel fork, 20" wheels with fat tires, v-brakes, racks and lighting, and a quick and easy fold. The bike I rode was the Di7 model, which features a Shimano Nexus 7-speed hub. There is also a SRAM 2-speed Duo model.






The Swoop is a commuter-ready bike. The low stepover makes it easy to mount and dismount for everyone. The fenders and chainguard will keep clothing clean. The wide tires (Schwalbe Big Apples) make for a cushy ride. The generously sized rear rack and built-in cords allow for easy transport of luggage. In addition to the rear rack, there is a luggage socket into which a klick-fix adapter can be installed. This system works with a variety of front bags and baskets.






The bike also comes equipped with dynamo lighting, powered by the BioLogic Joule 3 generator hub. This hub has an on/off switch on the side, which is said to eliminate drag ("...in the 'off' position, the magnets are pulled away from the core of the hub").






The Swoop's positioning is relaxed and upright, with the flat, ever-so-slightly curved back handlebars set quite high for all but the tallest riders.






I rode the Swoop around the Outdoor Demo loop a few times, as well as on dirt for a bit. In total this amounted to 2-3 miles, including some uphill stretches. The bike felt comfortable and relaxed, not unlike a full sized European city bike. The fat tires drowned out bumps very nicely. Unlike some of the other non-Brompton folding bikes I've tried, the Tern Swoop felt pleasantly un-flimsy. I did not sense any play in the fold joints, nor did I feel flex in the frame while cycling. The ride quality was stable and novice-friendly. The bike cannot be called sporty exactly, but it rode faster than its looks suggest, and the gearing was low enough to make the uphill stretches painless, as well as to handle more serious inclines if need be.




As far as comparing it to my Brompton, the Swoop is a more relaxed and upright bike. It rode a bit slower, and somewhat less maneuverably. Without a front load, the steering felt considerably more "normal" than Brompton's distinct (some say "twitchy") steering.




One thing I should note, is that visually the Tern Swoop resembles the Dahon Ciao, which I have not tried. Tern's claim is that the Swoop is a stiffer ride, eliminating flex in the frame, folding joint, and "handlepost." Among other differences is the Swoop's carry handle, and slightly faster fold.






Tern representative Eric Mah demonstrated the fold for the camera, and I also tried it myself. The process is similar to Brompton's, so it felt familiar and intuitive.






The folded size, however, is considerably larger than Brompton's (Brompton: 23" x 22.2" x 10.6"; Tern Swoop: 31.1" x 28.3"x 15"). At over 30lb, the Swoop is also noticeably heavier than a similarly equipped all-steel Brompton (which, according to the CleverCycles configurator, would come in at 26lb, including dynamo lighting and rear carrier). As the Brompton is already borderline for my being able to carry it comfortably for longer than a minute at a time; I would struggle trying to do so with the larger and heavier Tern. That said, Terns are still among the most compact and lightest folding bikes.






The announced retail price for the Swoop is in the $900-$1,150 range, including the rear rack and lighting. The solid build, stable ride, ultra low stepover, commuter-ready features, and easy foldability make it worth considering for those seeking a compact urban transport bike. Overall, the Swoop seems to be a good value. I am curious to see how it will be received once it hits the bike shops.